Insulin At 17…should I Be Concerned

[ddjd]

I've also got very high cholesterol and LDL, any suggestions for how to bring down insulin?

Tia

 

[wintagal]

My endocrinologist wants my insulin at 5. Going on Peat dropped it from 10 to 6 - she was astounded that going from low carb to high carb actually lowered my insulin levels. But I think Peat has it right - it's all about the metabolism. The Peat diet makes my thyroid (I take levothyroxine) work better, I believe.
Also, thyroid is known for lowering cholesterol, particularly LDL. Back in the 30s and 40s, docs would give thyroid to people whose cholesterol tested high. They believed the high cholesterol indicated a need for more thyroid. Then in the 70s the TSH test came along and the endocrinologists decreed that the TSH range from 95% of the 'healthy' population was sacrosanct.
So I would start looking at thyroid numbers - free T3 in particular. Life Extension offers a blood test for it. That will give you a starting point. For most people, that's a reliable way to diagnose thyroid deficiencies, as well as to dose T4.
Of course, if you take T3, it's short acting and your blood levels will be high, then low, then high, etc. So you dose T3 based on pulse and temps.
The best summary of thyroid testing issues is on a website by Dr. Henry Lindner, Hormone Restoration. He really gets it.

 

[ddjd]

My endocrinologist wants my insulin at 5. Going on Peat dropped it from 10 to 6 - she was astounded that going from low carb to high carb actually lowered my insulin levels. But I think Peat has it right - it's all about the metabolism. The Peat diet makes my thyroid (I take levothyroxine) work better, I believe.
Also, thyroid is known for lowering cholesterol, particularly LDL. Back in the 30s and 40s, docs would give thyroid to people whose cholesterol tested high. They believed the high cholesterol indicated a need for more thyroid. Then in the 70s the TSH test came along and the endocrinologists decreed that the TSH range from 95% of the 'healthy' population was sacrosanct.
So I would start looking at thyroid numbers - free T3 in particular. Life Extension offers a blood test for it. That will give you a starting point. For most people, that's a reliable way to diagnose thyroid deficiencies, as well as to dose T4.
Of course, if you take T3, it's short acting and your blood levels will be high, then low, then high, etc. So you dose T3 based on pulse and temps.
The best summary of thyroid testing issues is on a website by Dr. Henry Lindner, Hormone Restoration. He really gets it.

everyone ive asked says total t3 is a better marker, but you think free t3?

 

[wintagal]

According to Dr Lindner, Hormone Restoration, website:
"One day, this delusional TSH-based thyroidology will be abandoned and physicians will go back to diagnosing and
treating thyroid insufficiency by clinical criteria--according to the patient's signs and symptoms first, and the FT4 and FT3
levels second. "

 

[Djukami]

How much calories are you eating per day? Do you have blood sugar drops?
Also, are you gaining weight?

 

[ddjd]

I've also got very high cholesterol and LDL, any suggestions for how to bring down insulin?

Tia

how are you getting on. my insulin was also at 17 in a recent test. and i have very high cholesterol. do you know how accurate the insulin tests are? do they change massively throughout the course of a day i mean?